Quick Facts

Class:

Location:

Transfer Type:
Transfer Duration:

Island Size:

Total no. Villas:

Highlights:

★★★★★

Dhaalu Atoll

Seaplane
50 minutes

Extra large

134

• Underwater restaurant
• Excellent for surfing

• Naturally beautiful island
• Very family friendly

Reviewed by Florian

About Six Senses Laamu

Six Senses Laamu is the only resort in the Laamu Atoll, giving it a level of seclusion that few properties in the Maldives can match. It was designed with sustainability at its core, using recycled and natural materials, eliminating single-use plastics, and supporting marine conservation projects.

Its unique selling points include:

A superb house reef with turtles, sharks, rays, and vibrant corals.

A world-class diving location, attracting enthusiasts from around the globe.

A commitment to wellness, sustainability, and mindful living that defines the Six Senses brand.

The barefoot luxury lifestyle, where guests are encouraged to walk shoeless throughout their stay, creates a sense of connection with nature that makes Six Senses Laamu stand out among the best spa resorts in the Maldives.

Transfers & arrival

Let’s start this review of Six Senses Laamu with the transfer from Malé airport.

Reaching Six Senses Laamu requires a 1h 5min seaplane flight followed by a very short speedboat transfer. While it takes longer than the average Maldivian resort to get here, the journey is part of the adventure, flying over pristine atolls and turquoise lagoons before arriving at this remote paradise.

On arrival, the warm welcome immediately reflects the brand’s DNA: relaxed, personal, and full of smiles. Guests are met by their butler, who provides a quick orientation before escorting them to their villa.

Our Laamu Water Villa

Our villa was a Laamu Water Villa on Jetty C, located furthest from the main facilities. This positioning offers incredible peace and privacy, although it does mean that snorkeling is better near Jetty A and the arrival area.

The villa itself was pure Six Senses DNA: elegant, minimalist, and crafted entirely from wood, yet extremely comfortable.

Highlights included:

Outdoor bathroom: beautiful and airy, blending indoor comfort with outdoor freshness.

Bathtub with a view: a full glass bathtub overlooking the ocean, with a glass floor below so you can watch the fish while soaking.

Outdoor deck: multiple lounging and sitting options, perfect for relaxing at different times of the day. You also have a rooftop that you can access from your bathroom to have beautiful views over the resort.

No private pool: unlike many resorts, these villas do not all have pools, but the large outdoor space compensates.

It felt authentic, cozy, and in harmony with the island’s natural setting. Our review of this villa is very positive, even though it is relatively small inside and would not be recommended for families, even with just 1 child.

The island: pretty…and not pretty

Let’s continue this review of Six Senses Laamu Maldives with the island beauty, or, is it?

Six Senses Laamu is a beautiful island, though it has its contrasts.

The lagoon side is often covered in seaweed. The resort chooses to keep it for ecological reasons, as it supports turtles and marine life, which is admirable but visually less ideal.

On the sunset side, the beaches are far more beautiful, with fewer seaweed patches and picture-perfect scenery. If you plan on staying in a beach villa, we would definitely recommend you the sunset side which has way nicer beaches.

The vegetation inside the island is lush and tropical, but compared to other Maldivian resorts, it’s not the absolute prettiest. If you’re looking for the most beautiful islands and resorts in the Maldives, you can check our article here.

Overall, while not flawless in terms of aesthetics, the island remains deeply appealing, especially with its focus on sustainability.

Dining at Six Senses Laamu: get ready to come back with extra weight

Food is one of the resort’s greatest strengths. This review of Six Senses Laamu Maldives wouldn’t be complete without highlighting its dining.

Breakfast: among the very best in the Maldives, both in quality and variety. Fresh fruits, juices, pastries, cooked dishes, and more. It’s abundant and delicious.

Leaf Restaurant: the standout, located over the organic garden. Every dinner we had here felt worthy of a Michelin star. Exquisite flavors, creative dishes, and outstanding service.

Zen: a Japanese-inspired dining experience. While good, it didn’t wow us compared to Leaf.

Sip Sip: the main poolside restaurant with a relaxed vibe. The pizzas were especially good, and the setting made it a favorite lunch spot.

Buffet nights: held on the beach, offering a wide variety of fresh and flavorful dishes, some of the best we’ve had in the Maldives.

One of the most unique features is the Ice & Chocolate Studio. Guests can enjoy complimentary homemade ice cream throughout the day, with flavors changing daily. The resort also imports 200kg of cacao beans every week, which they transform into their own chocolate for ice cream, pralines, and candies. It’s a small detail that leaves a big impression.

If you’re a foodie, Six Senses Laamu is definitely a GREAT option!

The service: a key strength

Service at Six Senses Laamu is one of the highlights. With around 400 team members, it is impressive how consistently friendly and warm they are. Whether it was gardeners, waiters, or housekeeping, everyone greeted us with genuine smiles.

Our butler, Hassan, was exceptional. Always available, attentive without being intrusive, and incredibly knowledgeable, he made our stay seamless from beginning to end.

It’s rare to find service this consistent across such a large property, but Six Senses Laamu delivers and our review could not be better on this criterion.

Snorkeling at Six Senses Laamu

Snorkeling is where the resort truly shines. The house reef is among the healthiest in the Maldives, teeming with life.

We saw countless turtles, reef sharks, rays, and huge schools of fish. Coral coverage was impressive, and the reef felt alive in a way many Maldivian reefs no longer do. For snorkeling enthusiasts, this is without doubt one of the best resorts in the country.

If you want to be sure to spot green turtles, just snorkel in the shallow areas near the beach, where the seaweed is. They eat the seagrass, so you can be sure to spot plenty of them in this area.

Excursions on a picnic island and the sandbank

For this review of Six Senses Laamu Maldives, we also wanted to talk about two amazing excursions that we did during our stay.

Picnic island: A half-day experience on a deserted island, including snorkeling and a private picnic. It was the best picnic we’ve had in the Maldives, with delicious food and total seclusion. The reef around the island was just as healthy and fish-rich as the one at the resort.

Sandbank experience: Located just 5 minutes from the resort, the sandbank was stunning, with surreal shades of blue all around. While not as magical as the picnic island, it was still a highlight of the trip. Make sure not to forget your sunscreen if you’re going there as the shaded area (below the umbrella) may not be enough to protect you from the super strong Maldivian sun.

Both excursions were well worth it and are highly recommended.

The main pool at Six Senses Laamu

The main pool is attractive and centrally located, but it can feel busy, especially since most villas do not have private pools. Resorts where every villa has a pool often have quieter communal areas, but here the pool is a lively hub.

That said, we loved the vibe at Sip Sip, where the atmosphere is relaxed, and food is excellent. It’s a great spot to spend the afternoon.

The Spa & Gym

As expected from Six Senses, the spa is outstanding and something we definitely had to cover in this in-depth review of Six Senses Laamu Maldives.

Spa: located on the island, surrounded by greenery, with treatment rooms designed to be open-air and immersed in nature. We tried a 90-minute signature massage in one of the outdoor rooms. It was deeply relaxing, though slightly warm in the midday sun. The resort also offers complimentary wellness workshops, such as the head massage session we attended, which was both educational and enjoyable.

Gym: while functional, it’s relatively small compared to other Maldivian luxury resorts. Equipment is adequate but not state-of-the-art. Still, it’s enough for guests wanting to stay active.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Incredible house reef, among the best in the Maldives

• Outstanding dining, particularly Leaf restaurant and the Ice & Chocolate Studio

• Service consistently excellent, with friendly staff everywhere

• Unique excursions to sandbanks and picnic islands

• True barefoot luxury with eco-friendly philosophy

Cons

• Long transfer time compared to other resorts

• Lagoon side of the island often covered in seaweed

• Most villas don’t have private pools

• Gym is small and less modern than competitors

Conclusion: a great resort which could be even better

Our review of Six Senses Laamu Maldives confirms why this resort is so highly rated. It combines barefoot luxury, outstanding food, world-class snorkeling, and genuine Maldivian hospitality in a way few other resorts can.

It isn’t perfect as the transfer is long, the lagoon side can look less appealing with seaweed, and not all villas have pools, but these are small trade-offs for what you gain: authentic experiences, one of the best reefs in the Maldives, and a resort that lives and breathes sustainability.

For couples, divers, and nature lovers, Six Senses Laamu is one of the most unique and rewarding properties in the Maldives

Contact us for more information or to book your trip to the Maldives with the most competitive rates.

Six Senses Laamu Resort Tour